Crawley Finds Redemption After Perth Struggles

At Perth, England performed badly, and Zak Crawley was the subject of severe criticism, having made no runs in the last two innings before this match. The Gabba, however, presented a more welcoming surface. On the first day of the 2nd Ashes Test, Crawley returned to form with 76 off 93 balls, providing England with a lifeline after his cheap dismissal in the first Test. The wickets had given England an early jolt, and his timely knock provided the confidence boost the team wanted.

Crawley fell soon after the first break when he pulled the short ball from Michael Neser, a move that brought out his weakness at the beginning.` Australian fast bowler Starc seized his moment, dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope for ducks in his first two overs. 

Crawley’s Confidence Grows on the Back of Solid Preparation

Crawley shared his thoughts on his performance post-play, admitting that he felt much more comfortable than in Perth. "I did feel good, to be honest. I felt much better than Perth. I was just trying to keep it simple, just trying to score straight on the leg side, and then if it was really full, maybe on the off side. Yeah, I was happy with my knock," said Crawley. 

His success was partly due to the hours of practice that England had put in since their two-day defeat in the series opener. Crawley also revealed that the break between Tests had allowed him time to focus on specific technical areas. 

"I think it'd have felt a long break if I'd have got two hundreds, to be honest," he said, reflecting on the long gap after the Perth loss. "But yeah, it's a good chance to get some practice in. And I felt comfortable. I felt calm today and managed to settle my nerves."

The key feature of Crawley’s innings was his discipline outside off stump, which was a direct result of the work he’d put in during the break. 

"There were still a couple of loose shots in there, as I tend to do, but got away with them, and I played nicely down the ground as well. By trying to score on the leg side, that made me leave a bit better outside off with the extra bounce today, and then when I got in, the ball started doing a bit less."

Root Anchors England with Maiden Century in Australia

With England at 5 for 2 early on, Crawley’s half-century and Root’s subsequent hundred were pivotal in rescuing the team. Root finished Day 1 unbeaten on 135, his first-ever Test century in Australia. His knock was a statement of his class, underlining his credentials as England’s premier batsman.

England ended the day at 325, 9, courtesy of a tenth-wicket stand of 61-run between Joe Root and Jofra Archer. Archer contributed his record 32*, his greatest Test score to date, despite still playing at No.11. 

As the innings wore on, one was led to believe that England will record a good total, or in large part because of the resilience of Root that kept the side afloat and the spirited input of Archer that took on a late charge to the final innings.

When asked about Root’s performance, Crawley expressed his admiration, saying, "I'm chuffed for him. He hasn't been speaking about it at all to us; that's just the outside noise. He's just very focused on just getting whatever score is needed on the day, and proved to be a hundred today. But he's the best player I've ever played with, or probably against as well. And he's a champion bloke. I'm chuffed to bits for him."

England’s Score Looks Healthy, but Australia’s Response Will Be Crucial

With Root in control and memories of England’s ill-fated declaration at Edgbaston in 2023 still fresh, Crawley confirmed that no such declaration was considered. "No talk of declaring," he said. "We were talking about boys going really hard, and if they got out, then it was kind of a win-win situation."

Root will resume Day 2 at the crease, with six overs to go until the new ball. For now, he can relish the significance of his milestone knock, which will surely go down as one of his career highlights.